CBCGDF Sustainable Diet Manual Cases (4)
2019/5/26 12:34:00 本站

Case 4. The impact of dairy and livestock on climate change

 

In the emergency of climate change, humans have an increasing trend in the selection of vegetarian dairy products. Milk substitutes such as oatmeal, soymilk, almond milk or coconut milk are areas of concern and sales are rising in some countries. A scientific study has shown that greenhouse gas emissions from the production of vegetable dairy products are lower than those of ordinary dairy products. At the same time, which dairy product has the least impact on the earth? According to a study by the University of Oxford, the production of a common dairy product produces almost three times as much greenhouse gas emissions as any non-ordinary dairy product. From the point of view of land use, the difference is also obvious. According to the study, 650 square meters of land is required per year, based on the production of a common dairy product per day, which is equivalent to two tennis courts and is more than ten times the land required to produce the same amount of oatmeal. Almond milk production requires more water than soymilk or oatmeal. It takes 74 liters of water to produce a single cup of almond milk – more water than a standard shower. Milk made from rice is also relatively eager for more water, and it takes 54 liters of water to produce a cup. However, it is worth noting that the water used to produce almond milk and rice products is still less water than the production of common dairy products.

 

Greenhouse gases produced during food production account for a quarter of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions have caused global warming. The study also showed that meat and other animal products are still the cause of most food-related greenhouse gas emissions, although only one-fifth of the calories burned are provided. According to a Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Sydney, people tend to underestimate the greenhouse gas emissions of food, and dairy products are included. The study pointed out that the greenhouse gas emissions of milk are about 30 times higher than people estimated. At the same time, the study also believes that most consumers underestimate the greenhouse gas emissions saved by the conversion of common dairy products to vegetable dairy products such as soymilk.


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By / Niu Jingmei